Slip clutch constant tension winch



March 19, 1968 E. A. PETERSON 3,373,972

SLIP CLUTCH CONSTANT TENSION WINCH Filed Aug. 25, 1966 W475i? IN WATER007' flTTOENE) United States Patent Office 3,373,972 SLIP CLUTCHCONSTANT TENSION WINCH Earl A. Peterson, 11221 Loch Lomond Drive, LosAlamitos, Calif. 90720 Filed Aug. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 575,095 Claims.(Cl. 254-187) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The combination of a constanttension winch with a constantly slipping clutch provides a mechanismwhen the load attached to the winch has a constant tension thereon, sothat this load will not move relative to the winch. The amount ofslippage of the clutch can be varied to alter the tension on the winchas might be required. Even though the load is stationary at times, theclutch is still slipping during the periods of movement or nonmovementof the load.

This invention relates to a slip clutch constant tension winch where theclutch portion of the device slips constantly, but the rate of slippageis variable by the operator to alter the amount of tension on the cablewhich reels onto or off of the winch drum.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel slip clutch constanttension winch in which the clutch is of a type which can be effectivelycooled to absorb the heat generated in the clutch due to its slippage.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel constant tensionwinch device in which the clutch associated therewith is of the constantslip type, and where the cooling medium is a suitable gas or liquid, andalso where the tension of the clutch is controlled by a suitable liquidor gas.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel constanttension winch of the character stated in which the winch and the clutchare arranged in a unit and is, therefore, relatively compact and moreeffective in operation.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention may appear fromthe accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims.

In the drawing:

The figure in the drawing is a longitudinal vertical sectional view ofmy slip clutch constant tension winch.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates ahorizontal shaft with journaled bearings 2 and 3. A win-ch drum 4 isnonrotatably mounted on the shaft 1 between the bearings 2 and 3, andthe usual cable 5 is spooled onto the drum 4 and moves either off of oronto that drum, depending upon the requirements of the winch. In thisinvention it is desirable that a constant tension be maintained on thecable 5 as it moves onto or off of the drum 4 and, furthermore, that theamount of tension on the cable 5 can be altered or adjusted by theoperator to suit the particular requirements to which the winch isplaced. A master gear 6 is journaled on the shaft 1 on the bearing 7.The master gear 6 is rotated by a pinion 8 and from a suitable source ofpower applied to the shaft 9, which power is not shown. The master gear6 is rotated at a constant speed, and power from the gear 6 istransmitted to the shaft 1 through a clutch 10. The clutch 10 may be anyone of a type known as constant slip, and one of the types which issuitable is illustrated in Patent No. 2,944,790, July 12, 1960, andparticularly FIG. 4 of this patent. Since the clutch mechanism slipsconstantly, in order to maintain the required tension on 3,373,972Patented Mar. 19, 1968 the cable 5 while that cable is moving relativeto the drum 4, it is necessary that the clutch shall be adequatelycooled so that the heat caused by slippage is dissipated and, therefore,the engaging parts of the clutch will not be injured.

A sleeve 11 is journaled on the shaft 1 and normally remains stationaryas far as the shaft is concerned. A distributor ring 12 is journaled onthe sleeve 11 and, therefore, rotates on the sleeve and turns: with theouter shell 13 of the clutch 10. The shell 13 is bolted or otherwisefixedly attached to one face of the gear 6 by means of a plurality ofbolts or studs 14. Thus the outer shell or housing of the clutch 10 willbe rotated constantly as the gear 6 rotates andwill turn at the samespeed as the gear.

The inner ring 15 of the clutch 10 is suitably attached to the shaft 1to rotate the shaft through the usual media of frictional clutch plates16, which are pressed into engagement with the driving ring 17 bysuitable control means such as the expandable tube 18. This expandabletube is activated by appropriate fluid pressure, such as air underpressure, and this air is admitted from a compression or the like in thepipe 19 and then passes through a fitting 20, thence into the sleeve 11and, finally, into the ring 12. A plurality of pipes 21 extend from thering 12 and thence to couplings 22 which admit the air under pressureinto the tube 18. As the tube 18 expands it forces the friction plate 16against the drive ring 17, and thus will rotate the shaft 1 at thedesired speed and exerting the necessary tension or pull on the cable 5.

Since there is constant slippage in the: clutch 10 between the drivingplates 16 and the corresponding engaged parts, it will be necessary toeffectively cool the driving parts of the clutch 10, and this isaccomplished by a suitable cooling media such as water, which isconducted through the pipe 23 and then into the sleeve 11 and out ofthis sleeve through a pipe 24 to the intake fittings 25 and 26. Thecooling fluid is then circulated in the cooling passages 27 in theclutch 10 to effectively cool the clutch and carry away the heatengendered by friction. Constant tension is thus maintained on the cable5 and this tension can be varied by the operator by controlling thepressure of the air in the tube 18, or by some similar control means.The clutch 10 will slip constantly, but at the same time the drum 4 willbe rotated to reel in the cable 5 due to the constant rotation of thedrive gear 6 and the consequent driving of the clutch 10.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A slip clutch constant tension winch comprising a shaft, a drummounted on said shaft and a cable reeled on the drum, a drive gearjournaled on said shaft, drive means, a pinion meshing with the drivegear, said pinion 'being driven by the drive means, a constant slipclutch interposed between said drive gear and said shaft, the rate ofslippage of said clutch being varied by an operator, and cooling meansin said clutch to constantly cool the engaging parts of the clutch topermit the clutch to slip constantly over long periods of time withoutoverheating and without moving a load attached to said cable verticallyto any appreciable extent.

2. A slip clutch constant tension winch as recited in claim 1 and saidcooling means including a fluid conduit, said clutch having coolingpassages therein. and said conduit extending to said passages.

3. A slip clutch constant tension winch as defined in claim 1, and saiddrive gear being journaled on the shaft, said cooling means including afluid conduit, said clutch having cooling passages therein and saidconduit extending to said passages;

0 a 4. A slip clutch constant tension Winch as recited in ReferencesCited claim 1, and saidorlilstfintt sglp cllutch irgcrlufdiiiggoa gelllg UNITED STATES PATENTS means securing 5211 s e o e rive ge r 1 nlSi in said clutch, and an expansible tube operatively con- 240718119/1946 Brfmdage 254187 nected to the friction disks to engage thefriction disks 5 2,887,202 5/1959 wflson 254187 on expansion of the tube2,944,790 7/1960 WllSQIl 254187 5. A slip clutch constant tension winchas recited in 2,945,675 7/1960 F1her 254-185 claim 1, and said constantslip clutch including a shell, 2,956,650 10/1960 Wllson 254187 meanssecuring said shell to the drive gear, friction disks 3 3%? 'dlth, d"bltb t'l 1 1 e1 1n Sal cu C an an expansl e u 6 Opera y Con 103,322,397 5/1967 i an 254 85 nected to the friction disks to engage thefriction disks on expansion of the tube, said cooling means including afluid conduit, said clutch having cooling passages there- EVON BLUNKP'lmary Exammer' in and said conduit extending to said passages. H. C.HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

